Pilot's gun discharges on US Airways flight

wcnc via Drudge Report ^ | March 23, 2008 | DIANA RUGG

[RDTF]

CHARLOTTE, N.C.-- A US Airways pilot’s gun accidentally discharged during a flight from Denver to Charlotte Saturday, according to as statement released by the airline. The statement said the discharge happened on Flight 1536, which left Denver at approximately 6:45am and arrived in Charlotte at approximately 11:51am.

The Airbus A319 plane landed safely and none of the flight’s 124 passengers or five crew members was injured, according to the statement. It was a full flight. An airline spokeswoman said the plane has been taken out of service to make sure it is safe to return to flight. A Transportation Safety Administration spokeswoman reached by WCNC Sunday said the pilot is part of TSA’s Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) program, which trains pilots to carry guns on flights.

-snip-

[7mmMag@LeftCoast]

You never chamber a round until you are ready to use the weapon. I always have a chambered round. I am always ready to use my weapon. Are you going to school me to think differently?

You just answered yourself. Do you like going in circles?

Ready to use is the operative phrase.

[matthew fuller]

"I am not sure what happened, but the possibility of AD is a part of the classified process"

Your statement sort of implies that you are knowledgeable of the process- Do the pilots choose their weapon, or is it selected for them? If the latter, what is the specified weapon? (If you can say.)

[matthew fuller]

"maybe hitting the center fuel tank!"

LOL! Wonder how many will catch that?

[pepsionice]

The story told...is only half the story. There are numerous details that they failed to question or put into it. I’d bet that the pilot had the gun out and was simply playing with it...and it dropped to the floor. As for why a bullet was in the chamber...that would be fascinating question to ask. The pilot? He’ll be suspended for at least 30 days...while they investigate...and he’ll get some type of demotion....I doubt they would fire the guy.

[Gollywomp]

Amen brother been carring a GLOCK for many years and ya know its never magically gone off. Just all the Glock haters pouring out of the woodwork

[Gollywomp]

The gun won’t do you any good if it isn’t loaded oh hang on don’t rob me yet my guns not loaded

[snooter55]

Three clips ? Clips ?? Perhaps you mean magazines.
Sheesh Edith..... Good Lord , that eerks me to no end ....

Snoot ;o)

[P8riot]

uh.... yep!

[safisoft]

Only a complete idiot would place a gun in an uncontrolled condition that had a chambered round.

Unless the "idiot" was simply following a strict protocol, adminstered by government agents.

BTW, calling a magazine a "clip" and referencing a non-existent "Glock" only further shows your lack of knowledge.

[Armedanddangerous]

There’s absolutely no reason for a Sig 229 to accidentally discharge unless the dude was fooling with it in the cock pit.

I wonder if it was in the holster at the time it went off?

[safisoft]

Federal Law Enforcement Officers cannot chose their own weapon.

For all the speculation and reaching on this thread, the "Glock" and "don't chamber a round" comments are the the least informed in LEO equipment and procedures. Clearly, a lot of people do not know what they are talking about.

[Armedanddangerous]

Sig makes all sorts of variants. I think the one you have in mind is the DAK trigger variant.

Oh, by the way, Im almost positive the pilot gun is the sig 229 in 357 sig caliber.

[safisoft]

You never chamber a round until you are ready to use the weapon.

How about keeping the bullet in your pocket? Barney Fife would be proud of you. I have never read anything so stupid in all my life.

Weapons on aircraft today are there to defend the flight deck. The time needed is seconds. Literally. "Ready to use" means "all the time" when defending aircraft. You have no idea what occurred.

[safisoft]

Oh, by the way, Im almost positive the pilot gun is the sig 229 in 357 sig caliber.

The Sig is nice. It is in the public domain what the weapon is, since Congress authorized a massive purchase. You aren't even close.

[safisoft]

I wonder if it was in the holster at the time it went off?

Ding, ding, ding. Another winner!

[Armedanddangerous]

You leave the gun in the holster with a round chambered and don’t fiddle around with it until its time to put the gun away at home or shoot a terrorist with it.

It’s a deadly weapon, it’s not a knick nack to show visitors to the cockpit.

[safisoft]

You leave the gun in the holster with a round chambered and don’t fiddle around with it until its time to put the gun away at home or shoot a terrorist with it.

You are definitely on to something. There is one piece of the puzzle that is missing, and no, it has nothing to do with showing it off, or fiddling with it. It has to do with a particular procedure. One, that oddly enough, was being followed.

[Future Snake Eater]

There are absolutely ADs. They are far more rare than NDs since they require an unlikely mechanical failure of the weapon, but they do happen. I had a .50-cal AD during a patrol on one of my Strykers due to a mechanical failure. CO and BN armorers looked at it and concluded the same thing—mechanical failure, not operator error.

[Eaker]

I was quoting a post. Did you notice the italics?

[DBrow]

One so far!